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by Karen Shea | Jul 16, 2009 | Space Policy | 2 comments
Time to Boldly Go Once More By Buzz Aldrin, Thursday, July 16, 2009, washingtonpost.com
Instead, I propose a new Unified Space Vision, a plan to ensure American space leadership for the 21st century. It wouldn’t require building new rockets from scratch, as current plans do, and it would make maximum use of the capabilities we have without breaking the bank. It is a reasonable and affordable plan — if we again think in visionary terms.
I read an except of Aldrin’s call to arms in my local paper and it struck a nerve. Like many, I’m frustrated at the small plans and slow pace of the existing space programs. Just today, NASA again finds itself burning resources and time to find out why their space truck has been damaged by foam peeling from the external fuel tank, rather than taking all the lessons learned from the initial STS and applying them to new technology — replace, don’t continue to patch a vehicle that is to be retired anyway. We need the visionaries and adventurers like Lindbergh, not the ponderous governmental approach. We need people who will commit all they hold dear to ensure success, not bureaucrats that need to fight for every dollar, or worse, have their budgets cut on politician’s whims.
Hopefully Aldrin’s vision as well as private investments like Branson’s SpaceShip programs will give us space again — or at least our little piece of it.
Amen on Aldrin’s vision striking a nerve.
As far as the fuel tank issue, with seven shuttle flights still planned, I can’t see a careful examination of the foam issue as “burning resources.” What is more, the shuttle launch configuration (2 SRBs & external fuel tank supporting a human/cargo vessel) may yet be of use in our efforts to return to the Moon, or visit NEOs and Mars. At least that’s the impression I’m given by the likes of Mars scientist/evangelist Robert Zubrin. Figuring it out now may pay dividends beyond the shuttle program.